Prenatal Birth Defect

253 Words2 Pages
Prenatal exposure to substances such as alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drugs result in numerous castes of irreversible birth defects. Birth defects related to drinking, smoking, and the intake of illegal drugs are entirely preventable. Research has shown that approximately twenty percent of all women consume alcohol or smoke a cigarette during their pregnancy; four percent of those women consume some manner of an illegal drug such as marijuana or cocaine. Susceptibility to these substances ensue in birth defects such as fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), low body weight, sudden infant death syndrome(SIDS), and mental retardation just to name a few. Abstinence of such substances is the best way to ensure the birth of a healthy baby. Of the three
Open Document